Tanya

I love Bohjalian's storytelling and this book was no different. It tells the story of family struggling to keep themselves together after the unexpected disappearance of the mother, who was a sleepwalker and who left their house one night and never returned. While the police attempt to locate her, the eldest daughter takes over her role as caretaker of the family, cooking, cleaning, and trying to keep her father and younger sister from feeling the loss quite as much. While the father turns to alcohol the sisters each investigate the disappearance of their mother on their own, leading to some startling discoveries.

Bohjalian's writing is gorgeous and the voices of the girls are both very authentic and believable, especially that of Lianna. This book is billed as a thriller but in reality it's a slow burn. The book was believable and the insight into life as and with a parasomniac was fascinating. I liked that the characters were written as real people who had a sleeping disorder rather than their entire existence being about their disorder. I didn't at all see the ending coming which was also a nice change of pace - nothing felt forced and all the details leading up to the end were dropped into the story with such subtly that you don't even notice them until the story comes together at the end.

If you like Bohjalian I'd recommend this book.

(Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

While this book had interesting information about the history of lobotomy and mental health treatment over the past 150 years, it jumped around quite a bit and felt a bit jumbled. The attempts to weave together Henry M.'s story and the history of the surgeon who performed his lobotomy was not entirely successful. There were too many other patients and other surgeons muddled the story and made it hard to follow.

(Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

“Everyone is faking it, all of them pretending to be something they're not. The whole world is built on lies and deceit.”

When their babysitter cancels, Anne and Marco decide to go ahead next door to a dinner party with the neighbors anyway. After all, they share a wall, they'll have the baby monitor with them, and they'll take turns checking every half hour. When they return their baby Cora is gone without a trace.

From that point the book takes off like a freight train and never applies the breaks. This was a book I read over the course of one two-hour sitting and I couldn't have put it down if I wanted to (and I did...I finished around 1:30am!). Around the half-way point you start to get a handle on what's going on but the pace doesn't slow down at all. This is a novel that maintains the suspense all the way to the last line.

The book is a touch melodramatic but I didn't find that to detract from the story in the least.(I watch a lot of Law & Order: SVU so maybe that's why?) The narration happens in an emotionally distant present tense making for some unsettling storytelling. Everyone around Cora seemed to have both a motive for the crime while simultaneously seeming innocent. Even though you know what everyone is thinking you can't tell who is telling the truth at any point. It all combines to create a pulse-pounding read.

Though it had some flaws this was a great debut and I can't wait to see what Ms. Lapena will come up with next.

(Thank you to NetGalley and Pamela Dorman Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

This is the first book being compared to Gone Girl that has lived up to the hype – not because they were anything alike in terms of writing style, plot, or book construction, but because it was the first book since Gone Girl that I couldn't put down. I sat down one evening and read the first half, only stopping because it was time for bed, and then I waited grumpily all day until I could sit down again and finish it. It was incredibly fast paced and, as fast a reader as I am, I was still irritated that I couldn't read it faster. That earns it the comparison, in my opinion.

This debut novel presents the perfect couple, Jack and Grace. They met one day in the park when Grace's younger sister Millie was dancing by herself and Jack stepped in to be her partner. After a whirlwind romance they were married and rushed off to an exotic honeymoon in Thailand. Upon their return Grace loses touch with her friends and quits her job, seemingly content to stay at home in the beautiful mansion that Jack bought for them and decorate, garden, and enjoy her new wonderful life. Soon, their friends notice that Grace and Jack are inseparable and Grace is now unavailable for lunch dates alone.

Do you see where this is going? Don't worry if you don't because Paris shows you before long. By the time that happens you won't care, though, because you'll want to know how the situation is going to resolve itself. The story flips back and forth between two timelines, the first following Grace as she meets Jack, falls in love, and accepts his proposal, and the second as she details what her life is like in the present. This moved the story ahead in a way that highlighted the frantic rush Grace was in. I also genuinely enjoyed the scenes with Millie, too. Her portrayal as a person with Down's Syndrome but still as smart as a whip, fun, and present in her sister's life felt very authentic.

The book was not without flaws. Without giving too much away, it did require a slightly higher-than-normal suspension of disbelief because one of the characters was SO extreme. The circumstances were so perfectly plotted that it seems impossible for anyone to be as well-coordinated as would be necessary to pull off their plans. There are a lot of trigger warnings in this book – nothing graphic but a lot of allusions to things – and they're scattered liberally throughout the book (not problematic but something to keep in mind before deciding to read it).

I recommend it but don't pick it up when you have places to be or things to do. You won't be able to put it down.

(Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

“Some secrets never die. They're just locked away.”

In this debut novel Alex Dale is a young journalist trying to hold her life together. Consumed by her alcoholism she has destroyed her family and career and is drifting from day to day in a haze, freelancing here and there, trying to remain functional and barely holding on. While writing an article about a doctor who is using brain scans to detect consciousness in coma patients she comes across a young woman who was brutally attacked as a teen decades ago and has shown signs of being somewhat aware of her surroundings. Alex remembers this girl, Amy Stevenson, and the case, being the same age as Amy when the attack occurred, and feels a connection to her. She decides to look deeper into Amy's case to tell her story and, at the same time, face down the addiction that threatens to end her life.

Despite being told from multiple points of view and moving around in time from 1995 (the date of Amy's attack) through to the present day, this book wasn't in the least bit hard to follow. I generally enjoy books that are able to successfully show the motivations of multiple characters and Seddon pulled it off here quite nicely. The glimpses into the neurological ward and patients seemed well-researched despite Seddon's admission that she took some creative liberties with Amy's condition and treatment.

I thought I had guessed Amy's attacker and, while close, didn't quite hit the mark. I always find that a nice surprise, though in this case I was a bit put-off when the attacker was revealed. The actual perpetrator and the motivation behind the attack wasn't really touched on until almost the end, creating a frustrating inability for the reader to follow along with the mystery. As a result, the book would have to be classified more as a “suspense/thriller” than a mystery. The character development was so good, however, that I would have been okay with whatever ending Seddon settled upon. The plot was paced well, descriptive, and while the motivations were a bit unclear for the behavior of some characters, it was overall so believable that I was fully immersed in this story. I can't wait to see what Seddon does next.

(Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

Sydney Yoshida is a mom of two who spends her days organizing her family – planning carpool, dinner, and work as vice president of the PTA around her husband's work schedule and her daughter's soccer, cheer, and basketball schedules, all while trying to squeeze in a bit of time for herself. Her gated community is usually quiet so when sirens break the silence one morning she finds herself out on the street with the rest of her neighbors, horrified when news of the death of fellow cheer mom and PTA president Trisha becomes apparent. In between helping the widower plan the funeral and helping take care of Trisha's children, Sydney also struggles with the police investigation that has targeted her neighbor and best friend Beth. Sydney is forced to take a closer look at people she considered friends to get to the bottom of Trisha's death while trying not to get herself killed in the meantime.

I had a blast with this book. I'm a sucker for a fun cozy mystery and this was right up my alley. I'm addicted to my planner (I'd be lost without it) and hoard office supplies like it's the end of the world, so the little mentions of pens, washi tape, and stickers made me laugh. Also, being a mom myself I could relate with the frustrations of the main character – trying to balance a home life with volunteer commitments, connecting to other moms through their children's school and extracurricular activities, and even maintaining a healthy relationship with her husband while being pulled in a dozen different directions.

This book had the typical bumps that come with first-in-a-series books and especially from a first-time novelist. Some of the character and place descriptions felt forced rather than being introduced more organically, and the book could have benefited from a more “show, not tell” approach. There were also references to name brands that were a humorous nod toward the “planner girl” community that might be lost on readers who aren't familiar with it. After about half-way through the book, however, the bumps had passed and the story itself was engrossing and the ending was entirely believable. Like any good mystery it was full of red herrings and had me guessing the murderer's identity and then changing my guess as I realized I was wrong.

This was a fun book that I would recommend to any cozy mystery lover, especially if you love crafting or depend on a series of lists to keep your life together. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

(Thank you to Ms. Tom for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.)

Compared to Gregory's other writing this was merely mediocre. Her version of both Henry VIII as a murderous rapist, Katherine as a weak, naive woman, and Thomas Seymour as a dashing romantic hero are confusing, given the actual historical record. The descriptions of life in the Tudor court were, as usual, spot on, making her misses on the characterizations of these individuals even odder.

The book was okay but a bit of a disappointment from one of my favorite authors. Hopefully her new book will be an improvement.

Review to come...

I'm always excited at the prospect of a character-driven police procedural (especially if it's British) and Missing, Presumed did not disappoint. The plot centers around a young woman who has gone missing after a night of carousing at her local university pub. Not an out-of-the-ordinary case, except that the missing woman is Edith Hind, only daughter of Sir Ian Hind, physician to the royal family. There were signs of a struggle at her home – broken glasses, blood, and tipped over furniture – but no ransom demands and no contact from Edith herself. The story itself plays fairly close to the traditional missing person mystery with lots of suspects, false leads, and juicy family secrets, but what really made it stand out were the wonderful characters.

The book is told from multiple perspectives, allowing the reader to get to know each character intimately. You hear all of their thoughts about the case, their boss, their significant others (including some particularly painful blind dates), and each other. Manon, the main character, is portrayed as both a tough and capable detective. At the same time, however, we get to see peeks at her private life, like her disastrous attempts at online dating. Davy, her partner, is an eternally optimistic man who worries about the plight of at-risk youth in the system and hides the miserable relationship he's in with his long-time girlfriend. Even more minor characters are fully fleshed out and you get a good sense of what the squad room is like.

Despite being a rather traditional mystery, this book touched on some social issues like at-risk youth and how they're shuttled through the system, the self-absorption and “cause hopping” of the idle rich, and the reasons some people turn to crime as a way of life. One thing I found particularly interesting was the reflection on how high profile cases are handled differently and whether that has an effect on the outcome of the case.

I enjoyed this book tremendously and I'm hopeful that this is the first book in a coming series.

(Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for a free copy of the book in exchange for a fair and honest review.)

This book is a rough read, and (in my opinion) very little like the movie (which I preferred, oddly enough...)

Read #2: I don't know why but the second reading of this book was world's apart from the first one. Maybe it's because I realized it was a nonfiction book that just felt like a novel, but I loved the characterizations, the descriptions of Savannah, and the trial itself. Now I feel like I need to rewatch the movie to see if I like it as much as I did the first time around.

Any book that gets blurbed by Stephen King gets immediate attention from me and this book deserved it. Reminiscent of The Mist the concept behind this book is a rather simple one: A giant snowstorm sweeps into the small town of Coventry, people claim to see strange figures in the snow, and people walk into the storm never to be seen again. Fast forward twelve years and another giant storm is headed their way. As they make their preparations the residents of Coventry are haunted by the events of the previous storm and fear the return of whatever evil may accompany it. Sounds good, right?

The book initially takes off at a great pace, introducing characters in the form of short vignettes, describing the storm and the chaos it causes, and is just generally scary. Golden successfully captured the suffocating feel of a snow storm which added to the overall discomfort you experience as a reader. Because the story concept was a familiar one, the focus could be on the characters and their emotional responses to the terrifying circumstances in which they find themselves. The jump forward in time did cause some initial confusion since many of the characters from the opening pages were now in new relationships and...for other reasons that I cannot disclose without spoilers.

All in all this was a very good horror novel. There weren't any flashy gimmicks or twists, just a solid concept and successful execution. It was a fast read for a book over 300 pages, which was good since it wasn't the kind of book you'd want to set aside mid-read. If you like horror that has the feel of early Stephen King and Dean Koontz (Phantoms comes to mind here), give this one a try.

“The best security is invisible security. The best safety is safety that one's object of protection doesn't know about.”

Security is really best described as a slasher film in book form and it hits all the right notes in that regard. It follows Tessa, the hotel manager at Manderly Resort, the newest, flashiest, high-profile resort hotel on the Santa Barbara coast. As she oversees the staff in their preparations for Manderly's grand opening the next day a killer is stalking the halls, murdering everyone that crosses his path. All of this is narrated by a mysterious stranger who is watching the bloodbath over the hotel's closed-circuit security system.

Told in a third-person omniscient voice, Security has a different feel that other novels. Because the narrator is telling the reader what happens as they view it on the hotel's incredibly comprehensive security cameras, we not only get a play-by-play of the horror as it happens but also this unknown viewers opinions which are often laced with a bit of dark humor. For example, we get this scene in the kitchen.

“Brian attacked the grease on his hands with a kitchen towel. The towel has red stains on it, most likely cherry coulis. One could not rule out the possibility that it was not cherry coulis.”

One of the things that makes this book unique is how the author chooses to show simultaneous action. The pages are split in half, thirds, or quarters with each “scene” playing out in those sections, giving the impression that they're being viewed on side-by-side television screens as they are being relayed to the reader by our mysterious narrator. In any other book this might feel gimmicky but here it's used perfectly (and sparingly) to remind you how the narrator is privy to the events as they unfold. I also have to add that when you slowly start to realize who the narrator is your jaw will drop. It was a stroke of genius I never saw coming.

The characters were both stereotypical in their make-up - the tightly wound girl-boss, the faithful maid, the temperamental French chef, etc. - but incredibly well developed at the same time. The book follows traditional slasher-film rules so much that each death is predictable in a way that doesn't decrease enjoyment of the book. (I actually had fun guessing who would die next!) Despite all of the blood and gore there's a certain playfulness in it's tone that makes it a fun read. It doesn't take itself too seriously and, because of the format, as a reader you're able to join in on that fun. You'll find yourself thinking “NO! Don't open that door!” as you read, just like you would watching it on a screen. It was a total success in that regard.

With nods to Stephen King, Alfred Hitchcock, and of course Daphne du Maurier, this debut - DEBUT! - novel is a gift to horror fans. Security is funny, clever, bloody and tremendously incentive. It certainly isn't going to be for everyone, but if you like slasher films and don't mind a little gore in your life, give this a try.

(Thanks to Alegonquin and LibraryThing for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.)

This was a fun book, reminiscent of the One Minute Mysteries or Encyclopedia Brown books, but for adults. The individual cases were easily read in one sitting (sometimes two or three cases, though I wouldn't recommend reading a dozen in a row like I did - it becomes a bit fatiguing. There were two “detectives” in these stories, one a reporter for the local newspaper and the other a sandwich shop clerk. I'm not sure I enjoyed having two detectives in one book, especially when their case distribution wasn't even. I liked the characterization of the reporter - trying to be a good journalist when he has a sensationalist editor - but the sandwich shop clerk character was a bit overdone. Also odd was that the finale case, which was at least two or three times as long as the other cases (in other words not “super quick”), had completely different characters. Although it could have done with a bit more editing it was an enjoyable read and I'd pick up another book like this from Mr. Stanek again.

WTF did I just read? The writing in this book is lyrical and captivating but it only serves to briefly disguise the fact that nothing happens. There's no story for the first half of the book and what character development there is doesn't actually make you feel like you know the characters more. The characters are so intentionally “quirky” that it creates a divide between them and the reader, making it virtually impossible to care about them. The synopsis made it sound like some kind of psychological thriller but that's sadly not the case. I honestly have no idea what happened at the end and, frankly, but the time I got there I no longer cared. When it comes down to it, this is the story of a spoiled rich girl, an “eccentric” girl, and some guy with serious self-esteem issues trying to manage a sort-of-relationship with them both at the same time. Not for me.

The cover is pretty, though, so it has that going for it.

This is my first book by Heather Gudenkauf, so I went in blind, knowing only that she writes suspense/thrillers. The short summary of this book is this: Jack Quinlan's aunt Julia, who raised him after his mother was murdered and his father disappeared, has fallen down the stairs and is in a coma. He and his wife Sarah rush back to his hometown of Penny Gate, Iowa to be with her and his uncle. When his aunt dies the police suspect foul play and the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of Jack's mother resurfaces, placing the family under scrutiny. Sarah, who is a journalist by trade, finds herself drawn into the awkward circumstance of investigating her husband, sister-in-law, and other relatives for murder. There is a lot of small town drama, several creepy abandoned barns, and scarily dark cornfields involved along the way.

To be honest, this book read like a domestic drama almost as much as it did a mystery. Sarah and Jack do not feel like a couple that have been together for 20+ years with two daughters in college. They seem awkward when they speak to each other and came across as much younger then they apparently are. They don't seem to have a solid marriage despite there being no real reason they wouldn't prior to Julia's death. That aside, I did like that Sarah was portrayed as a strong female character, though I would have liked to see a bit more from her, especially considering that she's an investigative journalist by trade. She seems to ignore what felt like fairly obvious red flags throughout this book. Also, her strange jealousy over her husband's ex-girlfriend from high school seemed absurd. 20 years and two kids and you're jealous of some girl he was “in love with” as a high schooler? It unnecessarily weakened her character and felt like it was tossed in to create drama where it didn't need to be.

The plot was full of twists and turns (some made more sense than others) until the “bad guy” was finally revealed. I found the ending so convoluted and confusing that it dropped my rating an entire star. I thought I knew who did it. The author was pushing readers in a very specific direction (almost too hard) and then the real killer came out of nowhere. Don't get me wrong, I'm all in favor of twisty endings...when they make sense. There were several suspects who had actual motives for wanting Julia dead and yet Gudenkauf manufactured a weird “they're just crazy” reason for her murder. It felt like a stretch and I found it unsatisfying as a reader.

The book was a fast and entertaining-enough read if you're looking for a suspense/thriller that is neither too creepy or too tense. I prefer either a fast-paced plot or thoughtful, well-developed characters and this book had neither. I'll probably pick up another by this author (I own a few, as it turns out) but I'm not in any hurry to do so.

“Am I ready to accept all that may come out of this if it works? It might give us the cure for everything. It might also have the power to kill millions. Do I want that on my conscience?”

This book was just a ton of fun. Mysterious artifacts, government conspiracies, fringe science, international political intrigue, an stone-cold “mastermind”...this book was like a science-fiction version of Indiana Jones, if Indy had ever stuck around after getting back from his treasure hunting. It was solidly science fiction while still being grounded in enough real life to make it feel relatable. That's not to say the science was sound (interspecies breeding when it comes to humans is an old trope but still firmly in the realm of fiction) but it was at least recognizable, to some extent.

The story is told through journal entries and interviews, with a handful of radio transcripts and news reports thrown in as well. It's been done (and perhaps overdone) but it worked really well here. The interviewer becomes a character in and of himself and you come to realize that he knows a bit more than he originally lets on. I got a total Smoking Man vibe from him and loved every bit of it. Interestingly, you eventually realize that the “files” you're reading are numbered and that they are incomplete - numbers are skipped with no explanation - and I immediately wondered if this was a part of the mystery. Are they implying that there's information we're not being given? Will we see it later? As mysteries are solved more arise, teasing the reader all the way to the end.

All in all this book was a complete win for me. It was exciting, action-packed, plot-driven, and had just enough of a cliff-hanger to make me wish I didn't have to wait a year for the sequel.

“You can never see anything clearly when you're running.”

Holy smokes - this book is a page-turner! It was such a fun read, twisty and turny, with surprises along the way that didn't feel contrived or forced. I loved the balance between the action-packed suspense of her present with teases to a backstory through email (though the identity of the senders of these emails remains a mystery until the end). The book is broken up into sections based on the alias in use at that time, which I very much enjoyed. It helped frame Tanya's journey and experiences in a way that she herself must have felt a she shed identity after identity. I loved her voice, too. It was unique and raw and felt really honest, even as she lied through her teeth to everyone else.

Once we finally got some answers, though, the plot started to fall apart. It's hard to go into too much detail without spoiling the story, but there were times when the reason behind the actions of the characters either don't make sense or they're just not enough to justify their behavior. Also disappointing was the fact that, by the end of the book, I never felt as though I knew Tanya or understood her choices. Whether this is a result of her constantly changing identity or poor character development, I don't know, but I would have liked to have gotten a better idea of who she was as a character. A weird, romantic story-line was kind of tucked in here and there along the way that was completely unbelievable and nonsensical. As I was reading I found myself wondering what was wrong with this guy. I can't say more but, if you read it, you'll know what I mean. Thankfully, this was a small part of the overall story.

This book was a lot of fun with great pacing and a unique voice. I'd definitely give Lutz another chance. This was her first foray into suspense and I think it was an overall success.

“So where does a story that ends in fire and death begin? It begins in the snow on the coldest day of the coldest winter of the last fifty years on their sixth birthday in a silent house. It begins with a body.”Let me start by saying that I'm not generally a fan of YA novels. This one had a good amount of buzz surrounding it, though, and it seemed to have an interesting premise. It's a debut novel, so I expected bumps. This novel, however. starts out dark and atmospheric and then starts to fade pretty quickly into a giant, predictable cliche. I am not exaggerating when I say that I guessed the “twist” ending from reading the prologue. The foreshadowing in this book is about a subtle as a fire alarm. After giving away the farm in the first few pages, the book then manages to continue on for 270-odd pages about a character in a mental institution with zero insight into any kind of mental health issues. I can handle a bad “twist” if the book at least offers some kind of peek into mental illness or a unique look into issues like the ones facing the protagonists (and there were so many to choose from here). This book offered none of that, unfortunately. It relied almost entirely on the suspense building to the big reveal at the end, and, to be honest, even if the ending hadn't been so obvious from the start, the twist was so unoriginal that it would likely have been a disappointment anyway.The plot also falls apart in several big ways. We're told from the start that Alice's goal is to regain her memories from the night of the fire and find her sister. A solid two-thirds of the book revolves around her budding romantic relationship with another boy at the hospital. It's an odd turn of events for someone who is supposedly so hellbent on finding her sister who she believes to be housed in the same facility. When given the opportunity to sneak around at night, she and her new guy end up on the roof chatting, in the kitchen fixing sandwiches, and wandering the grounds. Some of this gallivanting took place the night before Alice was to attend the funeral of her boyfriend, the love of her life, who had died a week or two earlier. For someone we're told is devastated by this loss, the speed of her new-found relationship is a big problem. Also, apparently this hospital has no security whatsoever because none of that is something two kids in a locked-down mental institution should be able to do. Razors were hidden in rooms, key cards easily lifted from several different staff members, locked rooms being broken into, patient files stolen...I mean, at this point that hospital should just be shut down for sheer incompetence in care.I could go on but there's not much point. In the end, the book was a quick read with a not-terribly-complicated writing style. However, because of a weak, nonsensical plot, I can't recommend it to anyone. Hopefully Jean's subsequent work will be more well-constructed. I'm unlikely to read another.My backlist bump for this book includes [b:All the Bright Places 18460392 All the Bright Places Jennifer Niven https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1404331702s/18460392.jpg 26113532] by Jennifer Niven (a YA novel that actually explores mental health issues in teens, including depression and PTSD) or [b:Shutter Island 21686 Shutter Island Dennis Lehane https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1329269081s/21686.jpg 1234227] (a suspense/thriller also set in a mental institution that will keep you up at night with it's creepy plot and shocking ending).

“The real horror of my life is not that I've killed some horrible people. The real horror is that the people I've loved didn't love me back.”

New location, same crazy. It's still hard to dislike Joe (despite his being a murderous psychopath) because he really does have some great insights on life and relationships. Sure, he murders people, but the people he murders are insufferable assholes. He even shows tremendous self restraint in not murdering some people despite there being compelling evidence that they might deserve it. His observations about LA life were spot-on, too. Joe unfortunately doesn't adjust well to LA – people are just too loud, to open, and too casual for Joe's liking. They start to get on his nerves and, like Joe says, “It's the little things that make you want to kill someone.” Kepnes did a brilliant job (again) in making me nervous for Joe – not because I wanted to stop him from committing these heinous crimes, but rather because I was worried he'd get caught.

I also appreciated how unpredictable the plot was, despite being a sequel. Every new death (or non-death) was a surprise and the strange circumstances Joe continually found himself in added an element of unpredictability for the reader. The plot dragged a bit in the middle but the development of Joe as a character, with a good side that complimented his bad side, made up for the uneven pacing. Another surprise was the cliff-hanger ending Kepnes chose to close this installment with. You could have ended where it did and been a brilliant stand-alone novel. Hidden Bodies ends in such a way that I'm now eagerly anticipating the next installment. Joe had just begun what could be the start of a redemption arc so it will be interesting to see how that gets carried through to the next novel.

Overall this book wasn't quite as good as the first book but I think part of that is because Joe's personality and behavior aren't new to the reader anymore, which was part of the charm of You. On the bright side, the new environment, new characters, new revenge angle, and new love interest all worked to create a reading experience that managed to be familiar and fresh all at the same time. I can't wait for the next book!

“...the bullshit thing is, if someone saw the three of us, well, most people would think I'm the weird one just because I followed you here. And that's the problem with this world...”

Holy crap. This was a twisted novel about stalking, obsession, and psychopathy. It touched on the use of social media in interesting ways - whether we overshare, how safe it is, whether we're fully experiencing life if we're so concerned with constantly sharing updates. The second-person narration was a unique and especially effective method of showing the world from Joe's perspective. It upped the creepiness factor substantially, giving the reader the impression that Joe was speaking right to you...as Beck. This point of view also allowed for an interesting examination of the games people play when in relationships, even when they're not crazy stalkers trying to manipulate their prey...I mean, significant others. Along those same lines, Beck's online presence highlighted how easy stalking is in the current digital age, where a quick Google search can bring up any number of personal social media accounts, addresses, telephone numbers, education and employment history, all from the comfort of your own home.

For a completely nut job, Joe, our narrator, is surprisingly charming and witty. His observations on daily life sometimes had me nodding along, which led to uncomfortable discussions with myself about how I could possibly be agreeing with someone so unstable. I'd go chapters before I'd be jarred back to the reality of what a creepy psycho he was...usually around the time he was stealing Beck's cell phone or panties or something.

This book works great as a stand-alone novel, but I'm glad it's the first in a trilogy because I look forward to seeing what Joe's future holds. Whatever it is, I'm sure it's creepy and likely illegal.

Nan Lewis is driving home from a faculty holiday party at the university in upstate New York where she works after learning she has been denied tenure. Upset and tired, she's startled when she hits a deer, but even more startled when, after exiting the car, she can't locate the animal. Nan eventually gives up, instead heading home, eager to avoid the ensuing snowstorm. The next morning she is woken with the news that one of her students was hit by a car and killed – in the same location as her accident with the deer. Nan, as a result of the damage to her car, is a suspect. Shunned by the school community and haunted by memories of her daughter's accident at the same spot six years earlier, Nan must investigate to clear her name. ********I really enjoyed Goodman's [b:The Lake of Dead Languages 120274 The Lake of Dead Languages Carol Goodman https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320554718s/120274.jpg 3159707] so I was eager to dive into this one. It's a face-paced read, with twists and turns coming fast and hard almost from the start. The writing was atmospheric and moody, though the constant descriptions of trudging through snow got repetitive after a while. My biggest struggle with this novel was entirely wrapped up in the plot. There are enough characters with secrets to entertain the idea the idea that any one of them could have been the murderer, but I figured out the “whodunit” fairly early on. Even worse, the murderer gave quite the melodramatic monologue explaining their dastardly plot. There was a touch of a romantic story line that, surprisingly, didn't feel forced. Unfortunately, I didn't like Nan, as she was a bit of a snob, looking down on her fellow coworkers and being surprised that the police officer investigating her student's death was a reader. Ultimately this book was an okay read but wasn't my favorite by Goodman.

This is a book with a compelling premise that just failed to do much for me. Described as “neo-gothic horror” and “perfect for fans of Roald Dahl and Shirley Jackson,” it missed all of the creeping dread, the brilliant writing, and the clever plot twists that are the hallmarks of those talented authors. The writing was unremarkable other than to note that it was a bit scattered, jumping around in time and from topic to topic, serving only to confuse an already muddled story. The plot played out like a dark reverse Narnia, with mysterious children arriving in the real world, but even as a fairy tale it falls flat, leaving us no lesson or moral imperative to look to. In the end, the book took a dark turn toward a dystopian view of the world and then abandoned the reader in a confused conclusion.

On the bright side, this book is closer to a novella than a novel, coming in at 210 pages. The problem this causes is there's just not enough room to explore the characters all that much. Morgan, the protagonist, is the only character the reader walks away feeling as though they really know, and it's only because, as the narrator, Morgan tells you everything that runs through his head, coherent or not. The rest of the characters are one-dimensional. They're creepy, certainly, but none are very compelling.

This book was a good idea with poor execution.

“If he told the best stories, dished the most delicious gossip, dropped the grandest of names. Then, perhaps. Then. Would he truly belong?”

Benjamin's latest novel gives readers a peek into the glamorous life of the high society Manhattan “Swans” - socialites like Gloria Guinness, Slim Keith, C.Z. Guest, and Pamela Churchill - as well as detailing the relationship between rising author Truman Capote and darling of the social scene Babe Paley.

I was struck by how simultaneously over-confident and approval-seeking Capote was. Here he was - a talented writer, adored by the best of Manhattan society, and yet he was almost crippled with a fear that he didn't really fit in with the people with whom he socialized. Though, to be fair, with the exception of Babe, the Swans did often seem to treat him almost as a pet - something to be trotted out as party entertainment or to prove their literary and intellectual weight. Why, though, would he betray Babe the way he did? Theirs seemed like a genuine relationship - as much in love with each other (maybe more?) as they were with their partners. They led emotionally isolated lives and found solace in each other's company. Did he think people wouldn't know to whom he referred in his writing? Did he expect she'd forgive him as she'd forgiven his other missteps in their relationship? Was the whole relationship a way for him to gain entry into their lives just for writing fodder? I wonder if Capote even knew the answers to these questions, since he was so far under the influence of alcohol and drugs at that point in his life. Capote's emotional crash at the end of the book is almost physically painful to read.

As usual, regardless of whether I loved or hated the characters, Benjamin absolutely brought these women (and their men) to life in a big way. Their habits, their personality tics, the things you loved and hated about these women were entirely believable. Notable was how these wealthy women, removed from the reader by more than 50 years, are worried about the same things women today worry about - their marriages, their careers (or lack of), how good of a parent they have been, and how to age gracefully. Benjamin writes:

“Yet at night, they took off their diamonds and went to empty beds resigned to the fact that they were just women, after all. Women with a shelf life.”

Unsurprisingly, Benjamin has crafted another amazing book, bringing another vibrant woman from history to life as a fully fleshed-out, complex character. I'd recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction or Truman Capote's writing.

(Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.)

“People are dumb. I'll never get over how dumb people are.” The unnamed main character in Gillian Flynn's short story is exactly the kind of character you would expect from the writer of [b:Gone Girl 19288043 Gone Girl Gillian Flynn https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1397056917s/19288043.jpg 13306276] and [b:Dark Places 5886881 Dark Places Gillian Flynn https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1354988288s/5886881.jpg 6873353]. Having been forced to panhandle on the streets as a young child, the protagonist eventually finds herself answering an ad for a “receptionist” that turns out to be a position as a sex worker in a shady spiritualist shop. After an on-the-job injury she is promoted to “aura reader” while continuing to occasionally service some of her regulars. She's like many of Flynn's female protagonists - intelligent, from a less-than-ideal childhood, and in this case a con-artist. Even though there wasn't a lot of room for background given the short story format there was a surprising amount of character development. I wish she could be featured in a longer story...I have the feeling her life would make for a fascinating read. While in her new position, a customer, Susan, offers her an opportunity to make some extra money “cleansing” her home. Our main character jumps at the chance, despite having no experience and not actually being psychic. Slamming doors, blood stains on the wall appearing out of nowhere, and strange smells convince her that perhaps she's in over her head. With an absentee father, the uneasy relationship between Susan and her stepson Miles comes to the forefront, and our protagonist questions how much of Susan's story is true and how much is the result of a stepfamily struggling to adjust to their new circumstances. In the end the story takes a few unexpected twists and turns until finally plopping the reader down in the midst of an unresolved ending, which has gained Flynn criticism from readers looking for a tidy resolution. The ending leaves the reader unsettled, conflicted, and perhaps even a little frustrated. Some called it a cop-out. I call it the perfect kind of ending. Who wants a melodramatic villain unmasking when you can have an ending that leaves you lying awake, wondering...?

Depending on how you look at it, [b:This Is What You Just Put in Your Mouth?: From Eggnog to Beef Jerky, the Surprising Secrets 22238370 This Is What You Just Put in Your Mouth? From Eggnog to Beef Jerky, the Surprising Secrets Patrick Di Justo https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1417411741s/22238370.jpg 41612295] is either a handy tool for consumers who want to understand where their food and assorted household goods come from...or a nightmare for people who see danger with every six-syllable word.Di Justo, who wrote the “What's Inside?” article series for Wired magazine that inspired this book, delves into the ingredient lists of your favorite foods - hot pockets, coffee, A1 Steak Sauce...even dog food - and explains what each ingredient is, where it comes from, and what it does. Each item is also accompanied by a “backstory” that details what inspired him to examine that particular food, who he contacted for information, and the sometimes questionable experiments he participated in, all in the name of science.The book had the potential to become tedious (as it did for the last half-dozen or so chapters that covered items like golf balls and diaper cream), but Di Justo's humor kept the book lighthearted and amusing. The occasional horrified reaction from his wife over his research made me chuckle, as did the rebuffs he received from the PR departments he contacted for information.I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick, bathroom reader-type book who enjoys science and food. If you have a weak stomach, however, steer clear.